Tag: personality

Skimming the Surface

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You won’t know it by looking at me. I won’t know it looking at you. The REAL ME. The REAL YOU. What do you see?

It started as a “surface” conversation. We were both shopping for hand soap. Immediately I admired her long tunic with the entire world printed on it. “The world is beautiful on you!” Smiling, she shared her love for travel. Judging, I guessed her to be my Mom’s age. Her surface didn’t matter to me. Within 10 minutes a connection between writing and faith was made. A genuine prayer and smile. Shared kindness. It felt like the “community call” I sought last week.

The layers of the soul below the surface of the skin are invisible to the human eye, yet transparent to those who see from their soul. I’ll name them Soul-seekers (I’ll put a positive spin lest it doesn’t sound like an evil villain lurking for the next victim).

Surface seekers? You SEE them looking at you and wondering. Or, there might even be evidence via social media-you “fit” a desired or needed profile. Skin deep is all that’s seen.

What do YOU view? Burdens or beauty? Shame or the shoes? Mood or the makeup? Hurt or the hairstyle? Care or the car they drive? Optimism or the occupation? Surface or the soul?

We all judge. What eventually surfaces from the soul will determine the degree of your relationships. It’s so peaceful to be at a point in life, in my personal and/or career, where I no longer have to worry about being “compared” to someone or judged based on surface issues. Gossip, drama, neverending politics, …pointless positioning, or being sucked into controversy. Let’s “face” it–you’re either on the side of love or losing. Life is nothing but lessons. Skimming the surface might suffice for some. If so, do you! As for me? Skin-deep won’t last; I want nothing to do with it. Ah, it feels good to know true love. 💛Given time, the soul will surface. A genuine heart will heal, not harden. True kindness won’t be kidnapped by conditions. Loyal love will lift the heavy weight of wrongs. Mature mercy will melt the madness. Faith can fix the fake.

Smiling, I will gaze upon the eyes of my Maker. Laughing, I’ll let go of the lingering litter of “labels” (they don’t matter!). Lovingly, I’ll let go of that which is only surface-deep.

Featured image–Spokane, WA (image by Jay Snook)

Community Call Recall–LOGO VOTE!

Thank you, my sweet friends (community!), for voting on my logo! It was SO MUCH FUN FOR ME! Including emails and texts, here are the results: Logo 1–15 votes, Logo 2-9 votes, and Logo 3-4 votes.

Logo #1 was the winner!💚

Collaboratively, I created a 4th logo based on suggestions from you and my MOM (if a MOM suggests it, it MUST be used :-)). May I ask one more time for a vote? Which one do you like the best? This will be the final vote!

LOGO 1
LOGO 2

Have you heard of NET, yet?🦓

Today, I’m off for my weekly “hike” to the blood lab. 🙂 After a full day’s stall due to ongoing symptoms on Tuesday, I feel positive that my counts are still going up, up, and up. Hope has been handed. I’m taking it with pleasure. Yesterday’s ZOOM with my NET cancer friends across the country was heart-touching–mixed with tears, celebrations, and facts. Finding them has truly shifted my game plan. This morning I was watching the sweet man that mows my yard. Checking on him, in case he needed water, he said, “Anyone as tough as you will beat this thing!” God, my family, and my friends say the same! There’s something about hearing it from the man who mows my lawn. He’s only “skimmed the surface” of my yard, but yet,…I grinned. A call to a friend, whose children are facing a life-limiting disease, prompted me to share hope. Her first words to me were, “I have hope!” You might find hope just skimming the surface of some great things or even in the “soul” of the simplicity that brings you joy…or even in this community! However it’s found, hope is a good thing.

There aren’t enough thank you’s to measure my gratitude for each of you. 💕

Have faith 💚

The above email is for the blog only. If you’d like to receive newsletters, please (and thank you) add your email below! I do NOT share email. Unfortunately, I’ve been behind on creating newsletters–typically, one a month is the most I’d send! Thank you for your support! 💕

K.L. Hale Avatar

Embracing imperfection with faith, flannel, & fresh air

©2020-2023 Flannel with Faith. All rights reserved.

To thine own self be true

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How well do you know yourself?

Even at a young age I was observant. If others around me were having conflict, or even experiencing harmony, I could feel it. In some ways it was if I could read others’ minds. Of course, that’s the stuff in which dreams are made.

Questioning the existence of God, the universe, the sky, and WHY things were the way they were was just part of daily thinking. Vividly, I remember thinking by Junior High, “I just don’t fit.” My empathy for others was so strong. At times it’s a gift. And sometimes a curse. Looking for hidden meanings, significance, and intentions could describe my interactions with people.

Getting lost in my meditative world is still something I do. My T.V. is currently off. Notifications are off. Phone is silent. The light of the day is streaming into my camper window. The shadows of the trees are dancing on the floor. The rest of the world is quiet. No disruption.

Even in my dreamy and artistic swing, I’m still a concrete gal. I have goals. I create them and I strive to meet them. Hunches are something I’ve leaned on~and intuition runs high.

Sitting at the neurologist’s office each year for the last 5 has been intriguing. Although short-term memory better than it was, it doesn’t seem to bother me that I forget the mundane. Because my mind has awakened to the part of me I remember from childhood. The part where I write, create, and imagine. Not the part where I struggled to fit in and searched in all the WRONG PLACES in the WRONG WAY to feel “normal”.

Being a good listener is important to me. Do you listen to yourself? Most importantly, do you hear the voice of the one WHO IS, WHO WAS, and WHO IS STILL TO COME? He molded you. He knew who you were before you were born. YOU ARE UNIQUE. We all have “quirks”. For me, observing others is a way to learn. It’s not judging. It’s easy for me to understand different views. However for some who wish to never change their thinking or learning, understanding other point of views equates to believing them.

https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types

As a student, teacher, and administrator, the M.B.T.I. (Meyer-Briggs Type Indicator) was used to distinguish the 16 personality traits. I double-dog dare you to take it.

Take it with an open mind. Never stop learning. Use this knowledge in your workplace, within your relationships, and how you operate in our world.

I’m an INFJ~A. In the 8 year span since I last took the test, I’ve become a bit more introverted. However, knowing these things about myself answers many questions I’ve had over the years. And still, I hold tight to my faith and the words of truth that are concreted in my heart and soul.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Romans 12:2
Have faith 💚
~I see a child, I see my own (and grandson and grandgirl to arrive soon)
~I see family, I see my life
~I see a school, I see a past career
~I see a campground, I see my current home
~I hear laughing, I hear my life
~I hear crying, I hear everyone
~I see forests, I see paths
~I hear music, I hear God
~I walk a trail, I'm walking ahead
~I climb a mountain, I'm reaching heaven
~I fall, I get up
~I sleep, I dream big
~I heal, I become stronger
~I question, I learn
~I let go, I gain
~I disagree, I respect
~I love, I love more
~I wait, I watch
~I'm quirky, I'm me 
~I am able to think, therefore I exist.
💚